More than 150 parents of high school students, who in many cases will be the first in their families to attend a university, visited the Macquarie campus on Tuesday, March 5 as part of the University’s participation in the Bridges to Higher Education Program.
Bridges to Higher Education is a unique partnership between five universities including University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, Australian Catholic University, University of Western Sydney and Macquarie University which aims to boost the participation of under-represented communities in higher education.
It seeks to engage young people who previously may not have considered higher education as an option – particularly those from lower socio-economic groups and refugee backgrounds – which have been traditionally under-represented in higher education.
However, Tuesday’s visit to the Macquarie campus was about answering the kinds of questions all parents of future university students have about their children’s educational future. Representatives from all five participating universities were on hand to speak and answer questions and the parents were also given a tour of the Macquarie campus.
Macquarie Pro Vice-Chancellor (Social Inclusion) Professor Gail Whiteford, who is also Chair of the Bridges to Higher Education Management Committee, welcomed the parents. Professor Whiteford said the event was designed to de-mystify the university experience for parents and also re-assure them about specific supports available when their children attend university.
“We believe that in supporting parents, we help create the sense of possibility of university as a destination following high school,” she said.
The Bridges to Education program is a $21 million initiative designed to reach more than 100,000 school students and inspire them to broaden their education horizons. The wider project works with primary and secondary school students and partners in Greater Western Sydney to engage young people through a variety of targeted aspiration-building and academic support programs.
This program is funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), as part of the Bridges to Higher Education initiative.
Bridges to Higher Education is a unique partnership between five universities including University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, Australian Catholic University, University of Western Sydney and Macquarie University which aims to boost the participation of under-represented communities in higher education.
It seeks to engage young people who previously may not have considered higher education as an option – particularly those from lower socio-economic groups and refugee backgrounds – which have been traditionally under-represented in higher education.
However, Tuesday’s visit to the Macquarie campus was about answering the kinds of questions all parents of future university students have about their children’s educational future. Representatives from all five participating universities were on hand to speak and answer questions and the parents were also given a tour of the Macquarie campus.
Macquarie Pro Vice-Chancellor (Social Inclusion) Professor Gail Whiteford, who is also Chair of the Bridges to Higher Education Management Committee, welcomed the parents. Professor Whiteford said the event was designed to de-mystify the university experience for parents and also re-assure them about specific supports available when their children attend university.
“We believe that in supporting parents, we help create the sense of possibility of university as a destination following high school,” she said.
The Bridges to Education program is a $21 million initiative designed to reach more than 100,000 school students and inspire them to broaden their education horizons. The wider project works with primary and secondary school students and partners in Greater Western Sydney to engage young people through a variety of targeted aspiration-building and academic support programs.
This program is funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), as part of the Bridges to Higher Education initiative.
